Automatic damper-regulator



(No Model.)

. GASTON; AUTOMATIC DAMPER REGULATOR Patented Feb. 13, 1894.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

STEPHEN M. GASTON, OF SHERMAN, TEXAS.

AUTOMATIC DAM PER-REGULATOR.

SIPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 514,887, dated February 13, 1894.

Application filed March 20, 1893. Serial No. 466,792. (No model.)

.To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, STEPHEN M. GAs'roN, of the city of Sherman, Grayson county, and State of Texas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Damper- Regulators, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof.

Myinvention relates to that class of devices known as automatic steam damper-regulators, and consists in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

The object of the invention is to provide an automatic steam damper-regulator of this class, which shall be simple in construction, reliable in operation, and which shall act with unusual promptness in closing and opening the damper in the fine or smoke-stack of the boiler or other furnace.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a front-elevation of a steam-boiler furnace having my invention applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a sectional plan-view of the steam-cylinder employed in carrying out the invention, the section being taken on line ac-a2 of Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional-elevation of the steam-cylinder and its connections, with parts broken away. Fig. i is a detail elevation, with parts broken away, exhibiting the pop valve and its connections. Fig. 5 is an inverted planview ofa piston used in the practice of my invention, in some cases.

1 indicates a steam-boiler, which is set in the usual manner, and provided with the ordinary chimney or smoke-stack 2, in which latter a revoluble-damper 3 (shown in dotted lines) is mounted upon ashaft 4. This shaft has the usual bearings in opposite sides of the smoke-stack, so that when the damper is turned edgewise to the direction of draft therein, the minimum of obstruction will be offered to the movement of said draft, and so that when said damper is turned so as to cocupy a position at or near a right-angle to the former position, the maximum of opposition to said draft will be offered by said damper. This is only one of the ordinary and we1lknown arrangements of a damper in a draftfiue. Any other known arrangement of same, may be used in carrying out my invention.

5 indicates a sprocket-wheel, or any other known thing mounted on aprojecting end of the shaft 4, or otherwise connected to the damper in the flue to operate the same from the exterior of said flue. Instead of a sprocketwheel I may use a common crank, or a bent arm.

6 indicates a sprocket-chain mounted upon the wheel 5, and having its ends connected to devices now to be described. Instead of this sprocket-chain I may make use of an ordinary iron connecting-rod, to engage the crank or other thing mounted on the dampershaft, to operate same.

7 indicates a single-acting steam-cylinder, having suitable devices, such as perforatedears 8, affixed thereto for the purpose of securing it to some fixed object at a point adjacent a steam-boiler. Within this cylinder is mounted an ordinary piston 9, having apistonrod 10 projecting outward through aguidinghead 11 and having its free end provided with the upper cross-bar 12 of a vertical-yoke 13. The cross-bar 12 has such length that its ends project beyond the vertical line of the said cylinder, so that the vertical bars of said yoke will clear the side thereof during operation. Said vertical bars extend downward from the said cross-bar 12, through guiding-apertures in the projecting-flanges 14 of said cylinder, or through other guiding-devices the equivalent of these flanges, and down to a considerable distance below the lower end of said cylinder, at which point a lower cross=bar has its ends connected to said vertical bars. This lower cross-bar is indicated by the numeral 15.

16 indicates a vertical weight-supporting rod, the upper end of which is connected to the lower cross-bar 15 of the yoke 13. The lower-portion of this weight-rod is provided with a shoulder or projection 17, for supporting a series of common slotted-weights 18, which are mounted thereon, as shown. Suitably mounted, to revolve, with its outer periphery in vertical-alignment with the said weight-rod 16 is a grooved wheel or sheave 19, which is located below said rod. Mounted to revolve upon a suitable pin or journal, above the cylinder 7, and preferably with its'outer periphery in horizontal alignment with'the outer-periphery of the sprocket-wheel 5, and with its said periphery in vertical-alignment with the outer-periphery of the lower grooved wheel or sheave 19, is asecond grooved wheel or sheave 20.

21 indicates a cord, rope, chain or wire-ca ble, having one of its ends connected firmly to the lower end of the weight-rod16, and its other end connected to one extremity (or' some portion adjacent one extremity) of the sprocket-chain 6. This cord, rope or cable is passed around under the lower sheave 19, so as to engage the groove in its periphery, and up over the upper sheave in a similar manner, and is normally held taut by means of a series of slotted-weights (or other forms of weights) 18 connected to the end of the chain 6 that is opposite the end attached to the cord, rope or cable 21. The chain 6 thus has a weighted depending end.

The end of the cylinder 7 that is opposite the end having the guide-head 11, is provided with a detachable recessed-head 23, orin other words with a head having. an internal-recess 24. This head is flanged, and bolted, or otherwise secured to the cylinder, in such a manner that its recess will be in free communication with the interior of said cylinder behind the piston 9. Said head 23 is provided with a pi pe-connection 25 and a valve-seat 26, and a steam-pipe 27 connects with said pipeconnection and with the steam-space of the boiler 1. Said steam-pipe is provided with a suitable globe or other form of valve 28, for controlling the supply of steam to said cylinder.

29 indicates a small drain-pipe communieating wit-h the cylinder through the head 23, and controlled by a suitable cock or valve, by means of which the interior of said cylinder may be kept clear of bodies of water.

The valve 22 is what may be called a pop valve, that is-it has a peripheral or marginal flange 30 surrounding and overhanging the valve-seat 26, of considerably greater diameter than said valve-seat, and this marginal flange is provided with an annular recess or groove 31 in its under side. The diameter of the valve is much less than the diameter of the recess 24 in which it is located, so that there is ample room for the escaping steam to pass into the cylinder past the margin of said valve. This valve may, of course, be held to its seat by any known form of springmechanism adapted for the purpose. I have here shown an L-shaped yoke 33 with its ends mounted upon the inner surface of the head 23, and with its body located above the said valve a proper distance.

3& indicates the stem of the valve, which has its lower end secured to the valve and its upper end passing up loosely through an aperture in the body of said yoke.

35 indicates a spring coiled about the said stem 34 so that one of its ends rests upon said valve and its other end is engaged by an adjusting-thimble 36, which latter is threaded into the aperture 37in the body of said yoke, and is adapted to be screwed inward and out,

to regulate the pressure of the said spring upon said valve. Said thimble 36 is provided with a central longitudinal bore, through which the stem 34 of the valve loosely passes.

38 indicates a small relief-pipe, communicating with the chamber or cylinder above the piston, and opening freely to the atmosphere, for the purpose of permitting egress and ingress of air above the said piston dur ing movement thereof.

I desire to call attention to the fact that I do not wish to be limited to the use of a cylinder and piston, in carrying out my invention, as it is well known that I may make use of any of the common substitutes therefor. For instance, it is well known that a diaphragm is the equivalent of a piston, in devices of this character, and for that reason I may locate such a diaphragmdn the position in which the piston 9 is here shown, so as to suddenly admit a volume of steam on one side thereof by means of the pop valve connection hereinbefore described. The piston 9 may be a valved-piston, and have a suitable spring-held (or weighted) valve 39 arranged over an opening 40 formed therein,so that said valve will normally be open, but when the pop valve opens the steam beneath the piston will act to close said valve in the piston and prevent passage of steam past said piston, and so that after said popvalve closes (with the piston at upper end of stroke) said valve 39 will be automatically opened by the power of its spring ll (or by its own weight), and permit escape of the steam and water above said piston and by Way of relief-pipe 38.

The operation is as follows: Upon the pressure in boiler 1 reaching the limit (the valve 28 being open) the pop valve 22 will be raised suddenly from its seat by the pressure beneath it, and steam will rush through said seat and come into contact with the overhanging grooved marginal edge of said valve, and by its impact therewith raise said valve suddenly to a considerably greater distance from its seat than it would be raised if said valve was a common valve devoid of the said overhanging grooved marginal edge, with the result that at the moment the valve rises the volume of escaping steam is suddenly augmented, almost instantaneously filling the space in the cylinder 7 beneath the piston contained therein and forcing said piston upward to the limit of its upward movement. Assuming that the damper 3 was in such position as to offer the minimum obstruction to the draft in the stack 2, at the moment the valve lifts, the following action will take place upon such lift of the said valve: The yoke 13 will be moved upward with the piston, drawing with it the weights 18, and cansing the rope or cable 21 to travel over the sheaves or wheels 19 and 20, and slightly rotate the sprocket-wheel 5 in a direction toward the right-hand in Fig. l, and this movement will throw the damper to such a position in the stack that the draft will be wholly or almost wholly out ofi. The movement of the damper, and of the several parts, is indicated by dotted lines. The piston will now be at or near to the limit of its upward stroke,

and it will remain in such position until the pressure of steam in the boiler falls sufficiently low as to enable the spring 35 of the pop valve to overcome it, when the valve 22 will suddenly close upon its seat, and the weights 18 will cause the parts to resume their normal position, or at least begin to resume such normal position, which is that shown in full lines. The rapidity with which the parts resume their normal position may be regulated by adding additional weight to the weight-rod 16, a heavier weight causing a prompt movement and a lighter weight a more sluggish movement. In some cases I have found that the pop valve opens a sec- 0nd time before the parts resume normal positlon, and in other cases a number of times at close intervals, thereby practically holding the damper at about a half open adjustment in the stack, and consequently keeping the steam pressure within a limit of a very few pounds variation, as it is well known that this form of a valve (I mean a pop safetyvalve) will blow off to its maximum capacity upon an increase of but a very few pounds pressure in the boiler, and will close tight the moment the pressure falls a few pounds below that to which the valve is loaded.

By the construction above described, a very quick-acting automatic steam-damper regulator is provided. It is a fluid-pressure damper regulator.

What I claim is 1. The improved fluid-pressure automatic damper-regulator, constructed with a steamcylinder 7 having means affixed thereto for supporting it adjacent a boiler, a piston 9 fitted within said cylinder, a piston-rod 1O fitted to said piston and projecting outward through one end of said cylinder, means for guiding the upper end of said piston-rod in its movements, a cross-bar or cross-head 12 mounted upon the upper end of said rod,said cross-bar having such length that its ends project beyond the vertical line of the said cylinder, a yoke 13 having vertical-bars connected to said cross-bar at their upper ends and extending downward therefrom t-oa pointbelow the said cylinder, a lower cross-bar 15 connecting the ends of said vertical-bars, a vertical weightsupporting rod 16 having its upper end connected to said lower cross-bar and a shoulder or projection 17 near its lower end, a grooved wheel or sheave 19 mounted below said weightrod to revolve with its outer-periphery in vertical-alignment with said weight-rod, a second grooved wheel or sheave 20 mounted above the said cylinder to revolve with its outer-periphery in vertical alignment with the outer-periphery of said grooved wheel or sheave first-mentioned, a rope chain or cable 21 connected to said weight-rod, passing over both of said wheels or sheaves and connected operatively to a damper, means for holding said rope, chain or cable taut, means for returning said piston to normal position at the lower portion of said cylinder after making a stroke, the lower head of said cylinder having an internal-recess beneath said piston and in free communication with the space beneath said piston, a valve-seat formed in said lower head, a pipe-connection communicating with said valve-seat, a steam-pipe 27 connecting said pipe-connection with the steam-space of a steam-boiler, a valve 28 arranged in said pipe to control the flow of steam to said valveseat in the lower head, a drain-pipe communicating with the interior of said cylinder below said piston and controlled by a cook or valve, and a valve located in the recess in said lower head so as to engage said valveseat therein and close said pipe-connection against passage of steam under normal pressure, means which permit said valve to rise from said seat when pressure above the normal is exerted upon its under side, and means which return said valve to normal position on said seat when normal pressure is resumed, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

2. A steam-actuated damper-regulator, constructed with a chamber, a spring-held valve located in said chamber, a movable-portion of the device, such as a piston or a diaphragm, connected with means for moving a damper, and a valve arranged to control an opening in said piston or diaphragm and permit egress of waste steam or water from said chamber, substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

STEPHEN M. GASTON.

Witnesses:

L. M. TUCK, W. M. CHAPIN. 

